Watercolour Box thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
British Galleries, Room 120, The Wolfson Galleries

Watercolour Box

ca. 1820 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
This watercolour box contains watercolours in cakes, quill pens, graphite and brushes, all ready for instant use.

People
Thomas and William Reeves (later the firm of Reeves & Woodyer), were 'artists' colourmen', as suppliers of art materials were then called. They realized that there was an increasing and lucrative market for boxes such as this one. In 1780 they had introduced commercially-prepared cakes or pans of watercolour, which were inexpensive, portable and easy to use. The colours were already prepared and formed into cakes with a binding medium, thus avoiding the messy and tedious preparation of pigments that had been necessary hitherto. Some artists still relied on the traditional method of grinding their own colours and mixing their own solutions of natural gum in water, but these improvements in solid colour-cake manufacture had rendered the practice unnecessary.

Technique
At the beginning of the 19th century, watercolour painting was a polite accomplishment for young men and women. This enabled otherwise impoverished artists to make a living as drawing-masters to the children of wealthy families.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Wood, paper and mixed materials including pigments
Brief description
Watercolour box, containing watercolours in cakes, quill-pens, graphite, brushes etc. Manufactured by W J Reeves and Woodyer, 80 Holborn Bridge, London, ca. 1820.
Physical description
Watercolour box, containing watercolours in cakes, quill-pens, graphite, brushes etc.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5.9cm
  • Width: 21.9cm
  • Depth: 10.9cm
Dimensions checked: Registered Description; 01/01/1998 by KN
Gallery label
British Galleries: As watercolour painting became increasingly popular among fashionable young men and women, suppliers of art materials such as Reeves & Woodyer in London began to sell portable paint boxes. Colours were pre-formed into cakes with a binding medium, avoiding the messy preparation previously needed.(27/03/2003)
Credit line
Given by Miss Pamela Hodges
Object history
Made by Reeves & Woodyer, 80 Holborn Bridge, London
Summary
Object Type
This watercolour box contains watercolours in cakes, quill pens, graphite and brushes, all ready for instant use.

People
Thomas and William Reeves (later the firm of Reeves & Woodyer), were 'artists' colourmen', as suppliers of art materials were then called. They realized that there was an increasing and lucrative market for boxes such as this one. In 1780 they had introduced commercially-prepared cakes or pans of watercolour, which were inexpensive, portable and easy to use. The colours were already prepared and formed into cakes with a binding medium, thus avoiding the messy and tedious preparation of pigments that had been necessary hitherto. Some artists still relied on the traditional method of grinding their own colours and mixing their own solutions of natural gum in water, but these improvements in solid colour-cake manufacture had rendered the practice unnecessary.

Technique
At the beginning of the 19th century, watercolour painting was a polite accomplishment for young men and women. This enabled otherwise impoverished artists to make a living as drawing-masters to the children of wealthy families.
Bibliographic reference
Lambert, Susan. Drawing: Technique & Purpose. London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1981. p.20.
Collection
Accession number
P.19-1975

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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